Improvement in track-clearers of mowings-machines



J. M. DAVIS.

vTrack Clearer of Mowing Machines.

No. 54,124. 4 Patented April 24, 1866.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. DAVIS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,] 24, dated April 24, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. DAVIS, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Swath-Clearer for Mowing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my invention; Fig. 2, a side view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved device to be applied to mowing-machines for the purpose of separating the grass within the line of the swath being cut from the standing grass adjoining the swath, so as to leave a clear or unobstructed track for the team on its return trip.

The object of the invention is to obtain a device for the 'purpose specified .which will perform the work effectually, even when the grass is lodged or inclined over in a direction from the machine-a result not hitherto obtained, so far as I am aware, with otherswathclearers now in use.

A represents the finger-bar of a mowingmachine, and B the shoe at the outer end of the same. These parts may be of the usual construction, and therefore do not require a minute description.

0 represents the swathclearer, constructed of a blade, to, of metal or wood, having its front end terminating in a point, I), and its upper edge inclined, so as to gradually increase in breadth or depth from its front to its rear end, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. This blade to extends a trifle behind the rear side of the finger-bar A, and is not in a right-angular position with said bar, but in a little oblique position, its inner end being about four inches inward, or that distance nearer the main frame of the machine than its front end. This oblique position is shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The blade at is not a plane, but is curved somewhat like the mold-board of a plow, so as to raise the grass, if lodged, to an upright position before the sickle reaches and acts upon it, and after being out to throw it inward from the standing grass. The blade at at its under edge, and about, say, five inches from its front edge or point, I), has a loop, 0, attached, which is fitted on the front edge of the shoe B, and the under edge of the plate, directly over the finger-bar A, has a metal lip, d, attached, which is bolted to the finger-bar. The blade at the part directly over the loop 0 is about five inches high, and gradually increases in height to its rear end, which may be about eleven inches in height.

To the rear end of the blade at there are attached two rods, D D, one above the other, both of which are bent inward or in a direction toward the main frame of the machine. The lower rod, D, is fixed, but the upper one, D, is adjustable, being attached to the blade by a screw, d", which passes through an oblong adjustable slot, 6, in the blade, and a pivot, f, on which the rod D is allowed to 'work in being raised and lowered, the rod being secured at any desired point within the scope of its movement by means of the screw 61".

In consequence of the blade being of the form and in the position shown and described, and in advance of the shoe and finger-bar, it will be seen that the grass at the edge of the swath to be out, if lodged and lying in a direction from the machine, will, as the machine is drawn along, be raised and brought to a standing position before or at the time the sickle reaches it, and when out it will be thrown inward from the standing grass, so as to leave a clear track for the team 011 the return trip.

The ordinary track or swath clearers fail, so far as I am aware, from raising lodged grass which lies in a direction outward from theswath to be cut, and when out throw it inward toward the main frame of the machine, for the reason that they are not curved nor placed in the oblique position in advance of the shoe and finger-bar, as in my improvement.

I claim, therefore, as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The curved mold-board-shaped blade a, provided with the adjustable rod D, when said blade is constructed as described and is applied to the shoe B and finger-bar A in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 16th day of October, 1865.

JOHN M. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

ANDREW THORBURN, JOHN N. HALTER. 

